EDINBORO, Pa. – It took two overtimes, but Edinboro's Justin Lustig became the first head coach in Edinboro history to win his first three games. The Fighting Scots prevailed over visiting West Chester, 54-51 in two overtimes, in the home opener at Sox Harrison Stadium. Edinboro is now 3-0 overall while West Chester, picked as the PSAC East preseason favorite, fell to 1-2.
 
The overtime game was the first for Edinboro since October 20, 2012, a 38-31 loss at Slippery Rock. It was the first double overtime game in Edinboro history, and the first at Sox Harrison Stadium since October 16, 2010, a 22-21 loss to Mercyhurst. The 105 combined points is the third-highest in Edinboro history.
 
When it was all said and done, Edinboro followed the same formula it had in the first two games, rallying from a deficit. However, the Fighting Scots let a 17-point halftime lead slip away before prevailing in the second overtime. It is the first 3-0 start since 2011.
 
While coming away with the victory, the Fighting Scots saw West Chester establish several new records for opponents. The Golden Rams finished with 758 yards in total offense, threw for 559 yards, and threw 70 passes. All are records for an opponent.
 

Jake Sisson, however, made sure that he would also etch his name in the record book while leading Edinboro to the victory. After throwing for five touchdowns and rushing for a sixth – both tying the school records – a week ago at Lock Haven, the junior quarterback became the sole record-holder as he threw for six scores and ran for a seventh.
 
Edinboro led 24-7 at the half, and still held a 24-14 lead entering the fourth quarter. The wild final 15-minute period saw the two teams combine for 44 points, the most ever in an Edinboro game. West Chester closed the gap to seven points at 24-17 on a 37-yard field goal by Brendan Paulison with 12:27 to play.
 
The Scots answered with a seven-play, 73-yard drive that ended with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Sisson to James Clark, boosting the lead to 31-17. Eighteen seconds later the Golden Rams were back within a score on an 80-yard touchdown run by Jarel Elder.
 
Edinboro boosted the lead back to 34-24 on a 35-yard field goal by Austin Reese with eight minutes remaining, only to see WCU answer with another Paulison field goal, this one covering 24 yards.
 
Ta'Nauz Gregory took the ensuing kickoff back 79 yards to the WCU 13. Two plays later, Sisson found Walter Fletcher for an eight-yard TD pass and a seemingly safe 41-27 lead with just 4:30 to play.
 
The Golden Rams would score twice in the final 3 minutes, 30 seconds to send the game into overtime. They drove 75 yards for the first touchdown, a 41-yard pass from Andrew Derr to Marcus Sydnor with 3:30 remaining, making it 41-34.
 
West Chester's kickoff hit an Edinboro player on the front line and was recovered by Paulison at the WCU 37. Seven plays later, Derr and Sydnor again hooked up, this time for a 27-yard scoring play with 1:50 to play.
 
A three-and-out by Edinboro gave the ball back to West Chester, but when DeVon Groves intercepted his second pass of the day, Edinboro had the ball at the WCU 44 with 53 seconds left. Sisson was intercepted by Ted Patton after a pair of incompletions, with WCU taking over at the 44.
 
Derr would drive the Golden Rams to the Edinboro 13 in the final ten seconds. Paulison came in to attempt a 30-yard field goal to win the game, but his kick was wide to the right, giving Edinboro new life.
 
Edinboro began the first overtime period with the ball and needed just two plays to reach paydirt. After a 17-yard pass from Sisson to Gregory, Sisson found Alex Caratelli open over the middle at the three, and the junior wide receiver broke a tackle and dove into the end zone. Reese's extra point gave Edinboro a 48-41 lead.
 
West Chester needed three plays to send the game into a second overtime. On 3rd-and-5 from the 20, Tyler Karpinski caught a 20-yard TD pass from Derr to make it 48-48.
 
An Edinboro defense which saw WCU run 108 plays came up big in the second overtime, limiting the Golden Rams to a three-pointer by Paulison from 25 yards out. Rontrell Peyton threw Elder for a four-yard loss, but a 20-yard completion from Derr to Karpinski put the Rams at the EU 9. Elder picked up a yard on first down, and two incompletions forced the Rams to settle for the field goal.
 

A pair of incompletions left Edinboro facing a 3rd-and-10 at the 25. Sisson picked up nine yards on a run, making it 4th-and-1. Lustig decided to go for the first down instead of a potential tying field goal. It turned into a game-winning decision when Sisson found Caratelli in the back right corner of the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown pass. 
 
Edinboro won despite being outgained by over 400 yards! While West Chester was totaling 758 yards – 559 through the air and 199 on the ground – the Fighting Scots totaled 349 yards. Most of that came through the air with 289 yards passing.
 
Sisson completed 22 of 55 passes, the third-highest single-game total for attempts, for 289 yards with the 6 TDs, adding a touchdown rushing. Gregory caught 5 passes for 57 yards, along with the 79-yard kickoff return and 21 yards rushing for 157 all-purpose yards. Caratelli also caught 5 passes for 51 yards and 2 TDs, with Fletcher catching 5 passes, two for touchdowns. Clark was limited to 3 receptions, but for 92 yards and a pair of scores.
 
Derr completed 39 of 70 passes for 559 yards with 4 TDs and 4 INTs. Karpinski caught 9 balls for 178 yards, with Jordan Banks adding 6 catches for 84 yards. Elder had a big day with 22 carries for 193 yards and 2 TDs.
 
Groves, making his first start of the season at safety, paced the Edinboro defense with 13 tackles and two interceptions.
 
The going does not get any easier for Edinboro this coming week, with ninth-ranked Indiana(Pa.) coming to Sox Harrison Stadium on Saturday, September 24 for the PSAC West opener.